OPS Press Release PDF

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
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The United Nations Department of Public Information, the Oceanic Preservation
Society, and Obscura Digital Presented
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(Photo courtesy of Joshua Brott)
MASSIVE ARCHITECTURAL PROJECTIONS ON UNITED NATIONS HEADQUARTERS
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September 23, 2014 (New York, NY) – The Oceanic Preservation Society (OPS), founded by photographer
and Academy Award-winning director Louie Psihoyos (THE COVE), Obscura Digital, a creative technology
studio that has staged multi-sensory media experiences all over the globe, and the United Nations
Department of Public Information, lit up the United Nations headquarters in an unprecedented visual event.
On September 20th, from 8pm to 11pm ET, towering images of endangered animals, the state of the oceans,
and threatened habitats were displayed across the UN General Assembly and Secretariat buildings. The
large-scale projected show delivered a revolutionary call to action for citizens of the world to demand action
from their leaders to protect the world’s ecosystems.
Link for Video: https://vimeo.com/106898420
For more information: RJ Millard - [email protected] - 212.620.0727
Falling on the night before the People’s Climate March, and leading up to the United Nations Climate
Summit on September 23rd, illUmiNations featured an 11-minute visual showcase created by OPS. The
event was funded by TheDodo.com and the Lerer Family Foundation as well as an anonymous donor. It
was produced in conjunction with Okeanos – Foundation for the Sea, as well Vulcan Productions and
Millennium Art. The event featured the works of world-renowned photographers projected 30-stories high
and told the story of climate change and the need to preserve biodiversity. The works of Yann ArthusBertrand, James Balog, William Coupon, David Doubilet, Jerry Greenberg, Michael Greenberg, David
Hannan, Howard Hall, Shawn Heinrichs, Steve McCurry, Sebastião Salgado, Joel Sartore, and Daniel
Stoupin were included in the projections.
The event kicked off with the arrival of professional racecar driver and environmental activist, Leilani
Münter, in a specially-designed Tesla outfitted with a high-tech mobile projection unit designed by Obscura
Digital. illUmiNations will also be the culminating moment in OPS’ latest film, RACING EXTINCTION,
which takes a candid look at the current state of the planet’s health, exposing the causes behind the rapidly
increasing rate of extinction among animal and plant species.
Louie Psihoyos, founder of the Oceanic Preservation Society stated, “Scientists predict we will lose half of
all our species on the planet by the end of this century. We wanted to create a spectacular program that
would showcase how fast we’re losing species and why their numbers are declining. We hope
illUmiNations will bring well-needed attention to the plight of these animals and our role in their decline.”
"Our generation must illuminate and take action around truth for the sake of future generations. It is
imperative that we at a personal level and we at a governmental level stand and change together. Obscura is
proud to humbly present a beacon of projected light onto the United Nations,” said Travis Threlkel, Founder
& Chief Creative Officer, Obscura Digital.
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ABOUT THE UNITED NATIONS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC INFORMATION
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The Department of Public Information is dedicated to communicating the ideals and work of the United
Nations to the world; to interacting and partnering with diverse audiences; and to building support for peace,
development and human rights for all.
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The DPI also operates over 60 UN Information Centres (also known as information services or information
offices) around the world.
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http://www.un.org/en/hq/dpi/
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ABOUT THE OCEANIC PRESERVATION SOCIETY
Oceanic Preservation Society (OPS), founded by National Geographic photographer and Academy Awardwinning documentary film director, Louie Psihoyos (RACING EXTINCTION & THE COVE) is a nonprofit organization that creates film, photography and media, inspiring people to save the oceans. Founded in
2005 by renowned photographer and avid diver Louie Psihoyos, OPS is headquartered in Boulder, CO,
conveniently between two oceans.
For more information: RJ Millard - [email protected] - 212.620.0727
OPS's first film, THE COVE, produced by Fisher Stevens, has won dozens of awards around the world,
including the Oscar® for Best Documentary in 2009, and inspired over a million people to action.
Oceanic Preservation Society is compromised of two separate entities - a 501(c)(3) public charity and a
501(c)(3) private foundation (The OPS Foundation). Both entities are registered with the State of Colorado.
http://www.opsociety.org
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ABOUT OBSCURA DIGITAL
Obscura creates immersive, multi-sensory experiences for public venues, branded environments, and live
events. Since our beginning in 2000, we set convention aside to create entirely new encounters with light,
image, sound, and motion. Obscura works with the world’s most forward-thinking companies, governments,
museums, real estate developers, and public institutions to reimagine how they interact with their audiences.
We’re always exploring how sensory moments can be inseparable from their environments. Architecture and
public spaces should have experiential technology written in their genetic code, as a way to animate and
inform. That’s how we envision what we do. Obscura’s diverse team innovates, conceptualizes, designs, and
creates award-winning experiences worldwide. Obscura is a Certified Green Business with offices in San
Francisco, New York, and Stockholm.
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http://www.obscuradigital.com
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ABOUT VULCAN PRODUCTIONS
Founded by philanthropist and Microsoft co-founder Paul G. Allen and led by Jody Allen, Vulcan
Productions produces compelling series, specials, features and digital content and creates outreach initiatives
designed to explore critical issues and inspire people to take action. Vulcan Productions is committed to
projects of significance that ignite progress and motivate audiences to have measurable impact on the world.
(Its projects have won numerous awards, including the George Foster Peabody Award, the Emmy Award, the
Grammy Award, and the Wildscreen Panda Award. Acclaimed films and series from the documentary group
include Pandora’s Promise, Girl Rising, Success at the Core, Hard Candy and The Blues.)
http://www.vulcanproductions.com
ABOUT THE DODO
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The Dodo is a leading animal news website, founded in order to promote the welfare of animals and provide
a digital home for those who love them. We’re witnessing a profound shift in the way people regard animals.
They matter more to us. We think of them less as objects at our disposal, as science increasingly reveals
them to be intelligent, emotional, social beings that are not as different from us as we once believed. We’re
increasingly committed to learning about them, more interested in understanding and improving our
relationships with them, and more passionate about protecting them. The Dodo channels this shift every day
by covering the most important and fascinating animal stories including photos, videos, Vines, etc. And we
want you to join us. Log on to thedodo.com to read our stories, share your own, and be a part of an
unprecedented digital community of those who are concerned about animal welfare and want to make a
difference.
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https://www.thedodo.com/about-the-dodo-387320140.html
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For more information: RJ Millard - [email protected] - 212.620.0727
ABOUT MILLENNIUM ART
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Millennium ART creates dynamic cause-related experiences that address some of the most pressing
fundamental issues of our time by engaging diverse audiences in social progress towards a peaceful,
equitable, and sustainable future. Over the past decade Millennium ART’s team has developed and produced
dozens of international exhibitions and communications programs in partnership with the United Nations,
integrating relevant themes tied to the Millennium Development Goals and Environmental Sustainability.
Millennium ART generates new perspectives that embrace the important roles of art, culture, education,
environment, science, and technology in contemporary society.
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http://www.millenniumart.org
For more information: RJ Millard - [email protected] - 212.620.0727
For more information: RJ Millard - [email protected] - 212.620.0727